Multiple flywheel and centrifugal clutching mechanism therefor



Aug. 13, 1929. J. o. CARREY 1,724,126

MULTIPLE FLYWHEEL AND CENTRIFUGAL CLUTCHING MECHANISM THEREFQR Filed Sept. 20, 1926 2 Sheets-$heet l Rae/afar" c/i/ZZZ 0, Gar/6y Aug.13,1929. R L724J26 MULTIPLE FLYWHEEL AND CENTRIFUGAL CLUTCHING MECHANISM THEREFOR Filed Sept. 29, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 13,1929. UNITED-STAT JOHN o. canary, 'ors'n. Louis,

ES EN hornet.

urssounr, assrenon. 'ro omen-Mons]: imam ING COMPANY, 013 ST. LOUIS, MISSOURL-AOOBFOBATION OF MISSOURI.

MULTIPLE rLYwnEnr. m cmrrmruean cru'rcnme nncnaivrsm rnnam'on.

Application filed September 20, 1926. Serial No. 186,558.

This invention relates to new and" useful improvements in multiple'fiy .wheels .and

clutching mechanism of the type disclosed in my co ending applications Serial No. 57,138 filed eptember 18, 19253, and Serial No.

124,348, filed July 23, 1926., Application 7 Serial No. 57,138 has matured into Patent No. 1,689,913, granted October 30, 1928.

In this type .of mechanism a pair of fly" wheel members is coaxially mounted ad. 'acent to each other in normally disengagedrelation with each other and said fly wheel of the device;

mechanism being adapted to be interenga-ged when one of'said fly wheel members reaches.

clutching mechanism thereof and to so con--. struct andarrange the cooperat ng fly wheel members as to insure efficient c rculation of air therethrough and prevent undue heating Further objects of theinvention areto rovide a pair of arms for controlling the centrifugal movement of the main levers in order to prevent untimely operation of the latter, said arms being operable at prede termined speeds and having 0 erative conneetions with each other toe ect simultaneous and uniform operating movement of both ofv said-arm's.

Still other ob'ects of .the invention are to provide a device of the class described which is economical to manufacture, contains but few parts, and can be readily assembled and disassembled.

With these and other objects in view, my

- invention-consists in certain novel, features of construction and arrangement-of parts, hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawf ings, in which-'- Figure 1 is a frontelevational of one of the fly wheel members and showing the other one in cross section.

Figure 2 is a horizontal cross section taken on line 2'2 of Figure 1.-

Figure 3 is a fragmental elevational view ,sho mg the arms in disengaged pos'ition.-

present invention are to Figure 4 is a detail cross section taken online 4-4 of Figure 1. i

Figure 5 is a detail cross section taken on line 55 of- Figure 1.

Figure 6 is an elevational view of the device illustrating the relative disposition of the spokes of the respective members.

Figure 7 is a detail crosssection taken on line 7-7 of Figure6. a

In the operation of fly wheel devices of the type disclosed in the above-mentionedapplications, it was found desirable vto hold the [weighted levers positively in retracted posi- 110118 untll -a predetermined speed was reached in order to prevent said levers from moving into engaging positions'prematurel and before the proper speed was ,reach'e ThlS premature movement of the, levers would bring the friction elements into enagement with the stationary flywheel memher and cause said elements to drag or rub against the latter, thereby exerting braking action'against'the revoluble member and retarding the operation of the latter. Conse-' quently the revoluble member would not be able to reach, or would be greatly retarded before reaching, the proper speed necessary to obtain positive interengagement between the two fly wheel members. To eliminate these objectionable features, I provide sim ple means for releasing the weighted levers at predetermined speeds, said means being equalized in their movements '50 as to release both of said levers at the same time.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings, 10 indicates a driving 11 from which extend radial spokes 12 form-' y. wheel member having a tubular hub portion ing a support for rim ortion 14 of said fly wheel member. The driving memberlO may be actuated in any suitable manner, in the present instance being set in operation by means, of a, belt 15which operates over the peripheral face of rim 14. A. driven fly wheel member 16 is provided with a hub portion 17 which extends into the hub portion 11 of member 10. Spokes 18 extend from hub 17 and terminate in a rim 19 which is concentrically disposed with rim 14 and is spaced inwardly therefrom as shown in Figures 1 and 2. Said rim 14 is ofiset to one side with respect to spokes 12 so as to provide clearance for the reception of rim 19 which is narrower than rim 14 so that when driven fly whee] member 16 is placed in position, it

disposed flush with the edge of rim 14. Driver! fly wheel member 16 is preferably -mounted on a shaft 20, being secured in any 10.. These segmental friction members are operated by means of levers 24 pivotally mounted at 25 on certain of the spokes 12 and each is provided at its short end with a tooth26 which enters a notch 27 formed in the free end of a corresponding friction element 22. Each lever 24 is weighted as indicated at 28 and is adapted to move by centrifugalforce outwardly when member 10 is actuated, thereby bringing the corresponding friction element 22 outwardly into engagement with rim 19 of driven member 16.

In order to prevent untimely operation of levers 24, a pair of control arms 29 is provided, each-of which has a shoulder 30 which, when said levers and said arms occupy retracted positions, lies in the path of movement of the free end 24 of its respective lever 24 so that the latter cannot move outwardly so long as arms 29 occupy retracted positions. Each arm 29 is pivotally mounted at the opposite end and the pivot point is preferably located on oneof the levers. 24 as indicated at 31 in order to lessen the manufacturing costs and expedite the assembling operations. This pivotal interengagement of lever 24 and arm 29 is. accomplished by slotting the laterally presented flange 24 of each -lever 24 as indicated at 32 and reducing a portion of the end'29 so as to provide a comparatively narrow neck portion 33 which traverses the corresponding slot 32,

there being sufficient clearance provided be-' tween portion 33 and slot 32 to otal movement of arm 29.

To prevent upward movement or accipermit pivdental displacement of each arm 29, the lower portion of slot 32 is undgrcut inwardly or toward the center as indicated at 32 so as.

hangs the portion 33 and holds said arm agains'twithdrawal fromsaid slot. A coil spring 35 is connected at one end to one of the arms 29 at a suitable point and at the the freeend thereof, the tendency of each spring being to hold the interengaged ends of each lever 24 and arm 29 in retracted or closed positions. In order to insure simultaneous andfuniform operation of arms 29 to Provide a l p or shoulder 34 which over-- opposite endto the oppositelever 24 near member with five spokes,

so that both levers 24'will be released at the same time, each of said arms 29 has pivotally connected thereto one end of a link member 36, the opposite end of which is pivotally connected to a member 37, which, in the present instance, is in the form of a ring loosely arranged on the hub portion 11 of thedriving member. By this arrangement it is not necessary to provide accurate adjustment of arms 29 as the outward movement of one of said arms will, through link connections 36 and member 37, set in operation the opposite arm so that both of the levers 24 will be released simultaneously. Levers 24 are preferably made of angle iron of proper size, cut to proper shape, and the levers 24 aswell as arms 29 are case-hardened so as to insure longjwear of the mechanism.

Means for attaching the springs to the respective levers and arms consists preferably of cotter pins 38 seated in the apertures of the respective members.

In the operation of fly wheels, as for instance when used in combination with domestic refrigerating apparatus, it is desirable to provide circulation of air in a definite direction. To this purpose I form the spokes 12 and 18 in the form of blades or vanes as indicated in Figure 7 disposed at a definite angle so as to force the air in the proper direction.

If the two fly wheel members were formed with equal number of spokes, it might happen that said members would become interengaged with the spokes of one member positioned intermediate the spokes of the other member so that the air spaces between the spokes of each member would be blocked by the spokes of the other member, and the circulation of air would be thereby considerably impaired. To guard against such contingency, I space the spokes of one member unevenly with regard to the spokes of the other member,in the present instance, the driving member 10 being formed with four spokes and the driven as clearly shown 1n Figure 6, so that at no time can the spaces between the spokes of one member be completely blocked by the spokes of the other member.

. The; provision of control or auxiliary arms 29 insures the operative movement of frictional elements 22 at a speed greater thanthat necessary to operate said elements whereby the latter are positively moved into engagement with the driven member 16 thereby driving memberand accidental slippage of the frictional elements with respect to the 1 driven member..

In this manner a fly wheel is provided having the requisite mass necessary to tain the desired momentum. However, prime mover preventing slowing down of the,

Ill

is not required during the starting operation to overcome the inertia of the total mass as the fly wheel being made in sections, only the first section is set in oper-' I ation when the motor is started, the other section or sections being set in operation successively after the motor andthe first fly wheel section have attained the proper speed. The motor is not placed under excessive load during the starting operation, thereby enabling it to reach normal speed in a comparatively short time, at the same time prolonging the life of the motor and reducing the consumption of the current during the startin operation. After the motor and first section have reached proper speed the clutching in of the next section does not retard the speed of the motor in the first section very materially as the momentum of the first section assists the motor during the clutching in of the next section.

The clutching in .of the second or successive section is timed so as to take place after the motor and the driving section have reached normal speed and the fall of the speed incidental to the clutching in of the second section is not great enough to affect the centrifugal force by which the friction elements 22 are moved into engagement with the driven section, Consequently, there is no slippage of said friction elements and the fly wheel sections are operatively interen aged. Fly wheel construction is particu arly desired in devices which are frequently started and stopped, such as domestic refrigerating apparatus, air compressors and other devices.

lt is to be understood that various modifications and changes in the construction and arrangement of my device can be made and substituted for those herein shown and illustrated without departing from the spirit of my invention. i

l claim:

1. A sectional fly wheel comprising two coaxially arrange d fly wheel members revoluble independently of each other, one of said members being a driving member and the other a driven member, segmental mem-- bers movably carried by said driving memher and frictionally engageable with said driven member, centrifugal arms pivotally carried by said driving member and in engagement with said segmental members for actuating same, centrifugally operable controlfarms pivotally mounted onv said centrifugal arms for normally engaging and locking the opposite centrifugal arm in retracted positions and operable to release the latter at a higher rate of speed than that necessary to operate said centrifugal arms, a disk loosely mounted coaxially with said fly wheel members, a link connecting each control arm with said disk for effecting simultaneous operation of said control arms,

and springs connected to the interlocking arms for retracting said centrifugal arms and said control arms.

2. A sectional fly wheel comprising coaxial fly wheel members normally revoluble 'inde endently of each other, one of said mem ers being a driving member and the other a driven member, centrifugally operable means carried by said driving member and o erable to engage said driven member an interengage it with said driving member, centrifugallv operable control arms pivotally mounted on said centrifugal means and adapted to normally hold the latter in retracted ositions and operable to release said centrifugal means when said driving member reaches a predetermined speed, at which speed said centrifugal means are brought into operative engagement with said driven member, and coiled springs connected at their ends to said centrifugal means and said N control arms respectively for simultaneously retracting said centrifugal means and said control arms at predetermined low speeds. i

wheel member arranged in cooperative relation and normally revoluble independently of each other, each of said fly wheel members having its spokes arranged in a definite relation with the spokes of the other memsectional fly wheel comprising a driving fly wheel member and a driven flyher so as to prevent blocking of the s oke spaces of one member by the spokes of the other member, friction elements pivotally mounted on said driving member and operable to engage said driven member and interengage said fly wheel members together,-

weighted levers pivotally mounted on said driving member for actuating said friction elements, and auxiliary arms pivotally carried by said driving member and engaging the free ends of said weighted levers so as to lock the latter against operating movements, said arms being opera is by centrifugal action to release said levers at a speed greater than that necessary to operate the latter, thereby storing energy in said weighted levers to insure efficient operation of said friction elements.

4. A sectional fly wheel comprising a driving fly wheel member and a driven fl wheel member coaxially arranged, said driven fly wheel member having an annular flange pr sented against said driving member and.

member, a pair of weighted levers pivotally a mounted. on said driving member and having one of their ends in operative engagement with said segments to actuate the same, said levers being operable by centrifugal action to effect lnterengagement of said I segments with said annular flange, a pair of control arms pivotally carried by said j driving member and having their free ends disposed at-right angles to the free ends of said weighted levers and adapted to engage the latter and hold said levers in retracted positions, whereby said weighted levers are prevented from actuating said segments as long as said control arms occupy retracted sented against said driving member and said positions, said control arms being operable by centrifugal action at difi'erentialspeed with respect to the speed necessary to operate said weighted levers and yielding means for bringing said weighted levers and said control arms into retracted positions and into interengagement with each other when the speed of the. device falls below a predetermined rate.

5. A sectional fly wheel comprising a drivingfly wheel member and a driven 'fly Wheel .member coaxially arranged, said driven fly wheel member having anannular flange'predriving member being normally revoluble independently of said driven member, a pair of frictional segments movably mounted onsaid driving member and operable into engagement with the flange of said drivenmember, a pair of weighted levers pivotally mountedon said driving member and having one of their ends inoperative engagev ment with said segments to actuate the same,

. said levers. being: operable by centrifugal action to effect interengagement of said seg-- ments with said annular flange, a .pair of control armspi'votally carried by said driving member and having their free ends disposed at right angles to the free ends of said weighted levers and adapted to engage the latter and hold said levers in retracted positions, whereby. said weighted levers are prevented from actuating said segments as long as-said control arms occupy retracted ositions, said control'jarms being operable y centrifugal 'actionat differential speed with respect to the speed necessary to .operate said weighted levers and yielding means for bringing said weighted levers and said control arms 1nto retracted pos1t1ons, and into interengagement with each other when the speed'of the device falls below. .a predetermined rate, and means for interengaging said control arms and eflecting'slmultaneous and uniform operation thereof.

6.- In a device of the class described, a

shaft, a driven fly wheel member fixed to 7 said shaft and provided with a laterally reweighted levers pivotally mounted on said driving member and having one of their ends in operative engagement with the free ends of said frictional segments, whereby when said levels are actuated by centrifugal action said frictional segments are brought into engagement with said driven member, a pair oficontrol arms pivotally carried by said driving member and arranged at sub stantially right angles to said weighted levers with the free ends of said control arms engaging the free ends of said levers and holding the latter in normally retracted positions, coiled springs connected at their ends to the' respective control arms and weighted levers for maintaining the same in retracted positions, said control arms being operable at differential speed with respect to said weighted levers to insure efiicient engagement of the friction segments with the driven member upon the release of said weighted arms, and a pair of links movable simultaneously in opposite directions and pivotally connected to said control arms for insuring simultaneous operation thereof.

7.- In a device of the class described, the combination of a shaft, a fly Wheel driven member fixed {to said shaft and provided with a hub extension, a fly wheel driving member loosely mountedon said hub exten-v sion, said driven fly wheel member being provided with a rim presented laterally towards the-driving member and spaced inwardly from the rim of the latter, a pair of segments movably mounted onsaid driving member and operable to engage the rim of said driven member and lock said fly wheelmembers together, a pair of weighted levers pivotally mounted on said drlving member and having one oftheir ends .in operative engagement With'said segments for actuating same, a pair of control arms each of which is pivotally mounted at one end on one of said levers and has its opposite end engaging the free end of the other lever, and 'alc'oiled spring for 'yieldingly connecting the interengaged control arm and lever with each other and holding them in retracted positions, said control arms being operable at a higher rate of speed than that necessary to actuate said weighted levers, thereby effecting the release of said weighted levers after the .speed necessary to operate said levers has been passed so that the segments are positively moved into engagement with the driven fly. wheel member.

8. In a-device of the class described, the combination of a shaft, a fly wheel driven m'emberfixed to said shaft and provided with a hub extension, a fly wheel driving member loosely mounted on said hub extension, said driven fly wheel member bein provided with a rim presented laterally towards the driving member and spaced inwardly'fron'i the rim of the latter, a pair end engaging the free end of the other lever,

of segments movably mounted on said driving member and operable to engage the rim of said driven member and engage saidfly wheel members together, a pair of weighted levers pivotally mounted on said driving member and having one of their ends in operative engagement with said segments for actuating same, a pair of control arms each of which is pivotally mounted at one end on one of said levers and has its opposite and a coiled spring for yieldingly connecting the interengaged control arm and lever with each other and holding them in retracted positions, said control arms being operable at a higher rate of speed than that necessary to actuate said weighted levers, thereby effecting the release of said weighted levers after the speed necessary to operate said levers has been passed so that the segments are positively moved into engagement with the driven fly wheel member, a ring loosely arranged on the hub of said driving member, a pair of links pivotally connected at one of their ends to said ring at diametrically opposite points and at their opposite ends to said control arms to eflect simultaneous and uniform operation of said control arms.

v 9. A pair of coaxial fly wheel members rotatable independently of each other and adapted to be interengaged, each of said members being provided with obliquely disposed spokes spaced unevenly with respect to the spokes of the other fly wheel member so that at no time can said fly wheel members become intereng, ed with all of the spoke openings of one member blocked by the spokes of the other member.

10. In a compressor for domestic refrigerating machines, the combination with the actuating shaft thereof, of a fly wheel driven member fixed thereto, a driving fly wheel member rotatable independently of said driven fly wheel member and mounted adjacent thereto, and means for engaging said fly wheel members together for actuating said shaft, the spokes of one fly wheel member being diflerentially spaced with respect to the spokes of the other fly wheel member so that at no time can the air spaces beoperable means for engaging the first mentioned centrifugal means and holding the latter in retracted position for a definite period of time after said fly wheel driving member has attained the speed necessary to actuate said first mentioned centrifugal means, said auxiliary means being operable at a greater speed than said first mentioned means to insure efflcient interengagement be tween said fly wheel members, the spokes of each fly wheel member being angularly disposed to force the air in one direction, the spokes of onefly wheel member being spaced in a definite relation with the spokes of the other fly wheel member to prevent blocking of all air spaces betweenthe spokes by each other when said members are interengaged, thereby insuring elficient circulation of air through said fly wheel device.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature this 28 day of August, 1926. Y

J OHN O. CARREY. 

